Missouri Man Leads Authorities On Alleged Pursuit In Johnson County

A Missouri man wanted on a felony warrant was arrested Thursday after leading authorities on an eight-hour pursuit in Johnson County.

William Eugene Hammer, 48, of Sikeston, Mo., was arrested at around 1 a.m. Thursday near Private Road 3135 in Clarksville by Johnson County sheriff’s deputies, according to a Johnson County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Hammer was arrested after a pursuit that began at Murphy USA, 228 Market St. in Clarksville, at around 5 p.m., said Lt. Kyle Drown with the Arkansas State Police in Clarksville. Police received a call about someone who drove away without paying for gas, and when a state trooper tried to stop Hammer, he fled in his vehicle, Drown said.

Hammer drove north on Arkansas 164 and eventually brought the pursuit near Harmony Amish Mennonite Church where people were in attendance, Drown said. Hammer veered off the road and into a field, where authorities eventually stopped the vehicle.

“We determined the safest thing to do was not to allow the vehicle back on the road,” Drown said. “We used a maneuver to intentionally disable the vehicle to keep it from getting back around to the school and church.”

The vehicle stopped in a dry creek bed and Hammer allegedly fled on foot, leaving a passenger, Tonya Goodman, in the vehicle. Goodman was treated for minor injuries at Johnson Regional Medical Center and released, the news release states. Goodman was not arrested, Drown said.

The Arkansas State Police, Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and Clarksville Police Department began a search for Hammer after he fled on foot, Drown said. A sheriff’s office K9 unit and state police helicopter aided in the search, Drown said.

The search continued for about two hours until it was scaled back, according to the release. At about 12:40 a.m., authorities received a call from a resident on Private Road 3135 in Clarksville that a man came to his home and asked for a ride into town, the release states.

Johnson County deputies arrived and allegedly found Hammer hiding in a hole in the ground and arrested him without incident, according to the release.

Hammer was wanted in Missouri on a felony assault charge, Drown said.

Hammer was arrested under suspicion of theft of motor fuel, felony fleeing apprehension, reckless driving, speeding, failure to stop at a stop sign, impeding traffic, driving left of center, leaving the scene of an injury accident, driving without a seat belt, no proof of insurance, driving on the shoulder, criminal trespass and four counts of criminal mischief, according to the release.

Hammer was admitted to the Johnson County Detention Center on a $20,000 bond, Drown said. A trial is set for Jan. 4 in Johnson County Circuit Court, the release states.